Sigma Dagger
by RhulainTheCheetahwolf
Summary: AU Prime Dragonformers. This is a story that takes place in a world where the sword and shield, magic, and the dragons might ruled. A threat of a terrible enemy may purge it into oppression and fear. Only an ancient artifact will decide the fate of all life, but it lays with a small group of dragons and the hands of a young blacksmith. More details within. Contains violence.
1. Prolouge and Mule Sence

A/N: Story details at the end of the chapter. Enjoy.

* * *

**Sigma Dagger**

_**Prologue**_

_ In the beginning, dragons and humans lived in a coexistence with each other, but it was a tense peace. Each species kept to themselves, both avoiding true contact with each other, besides politic encounters between the human kings and the first Alpha leader Prime of the dragons. Most dragons thought of humans as a weak and inferior species, often raiding farms and towns for food and fun. The humans thought dragons were as cold blooded monsters and feared their shape shifting abilities to hide among them, so they formed an army of Guardian Knights to protect them from the raids. However, with the authority of the Prime Dragon and the assurance of the Knights both sides thrived for vorns, somewhat begrudged, without a war coming between them._

_ Then, as quickly as a lightning strike, a force of horrific power fell upon them. The evil deity let loose hordes of ravenous monsters to attack both sides. The dragons, with all their power, had found themselves overwhelmed and suffered many losses, especially when the monsters attacked their young. The humans, while weak and fragile compared to a dragon's skinned armor, their great number had fought back with impressive ferocity and ingenuity that kept the monsters at bay, but not without a greater loss of lives on their side. Yet, even fighting a common enemy most of the never fought beside each other until one day, the Prime Dragon at that time and a young lowly knight had found themselves facing the evil entity on their own._

_ The battle had been great, the Prime took advantage of his greater power and flight to attack and try to subdue the being while the knight distracted it and skillfully dodged it's attacks to find a weak spot. The Prime was surprised by the determination and courage of this young human, assisting him by warning of a coming strike and he in turn was warned of sneak attacks by the deity's monsters. The battle's turning point was when the evil force knocked the human away into the air. The Prime reacted without hesitation and caught the knight on his bareback in mid-air, which was when they both felt a new power surging through them. The knight witnessed his weapon glowing with the magic of their combined might. In a final charge, together they attacked the enemy's most valuable spot, found by the human, and purged it into the dark void of another dimension._

_ Victory at long last was in sight and both sides attacked the fleeing monsters into the depths of the underground and sealed them away. Yet, upon reaching the final battleground, they found the grieving Prime Dragon curled around the dying body of the knight, his armor had fallen away revealing himself to be not but a young man barely out of his adolescent years. The enemy's blow had hit its mark on his fragile frame, but he smiled at the mighty dragon leader and spoke softly with him as the dragon gave the fallen bloody weapon, a dagger, back into the boy's hands. The only recorded conversation between them was the human asking, "_Great Prime, are you well? Are our people safe now?"_ The reply was, "_Yes, they are safe and you have fought valiantly young knight." _The boy only smiled and they spoke once more (unfortunately it was not recorded) then closed his eyes to sleep but he never awoke again._

_Only rumors remain that the Prime had wept throughout those final breaths, dragons were never seen to shed tears, yet the truth of it is uncertain._

_ Though both sides had lost a tragic many, this one death humbled them all and every being that day bowed in sorrowful respect as the Prime's grievous roar echoed far and wide. Peace between the two sentient races prospered after the Great War, and trade began with little need of fear for each other. Yet, only rumors say that it will not last._

I had once wished that it would have remained only rumors.

* * *

**Mule Sense**

A dawn chorus of song birds filled above the brightening dirt road. Chilled fog gathered on the ground making the traveler tighten his cloak about him. The youth was dark haired and lean in muscle, his grayish blue eyes took in the road ahead and glanced at the surrounding sparse trees of aspen and broken pine. He and his steed rode onto the beaten road toward home with a wooden trailer of metal scraps covered with a tarp. The brown, white patched mule snorted her compliant on the trailers weight.

"Tired already, Sue?" Her driver patted her neck and affectionately rubbed it. "You've pulled heavier loads at greater distances than this."

Sue just repeated her complaining snort. Her rider chuckled.

"We're almost home anyway, and if you go on with no more complaints, I'll have mom prepare an extra bag of carrot oats for you."

As if she could understand his bribe she pulled a little faster. The youth just shook his head and they continued on the road in silence, but no more than ten minutes pass when Sue suddenly stopped with a jerk, her head and ears perked up and they pivoted every which way. The dark haired youth, who always relied on his steed's instincts, immediately became alert, glancing around and rubbed her neck again.

"What do you hear, girl?"

A blood curdling screech was his answer.

"**RRAAWWRRGH!"**

The frightened mule reared up slightly and tried to bolt but the heavy cart kept her there as her rider tried to calm her as she whinnied.

"Whoa Girl! Whoa!"

Demounting from his saddle the youth held the reigns to try to calm and reassure the mule. The screeching however came again but this time it sounded at a distance. He looked behind his shoulder to a rocky hill incline at the source of the noise; it leads to a local known canyon that was beyond its ridge. The sound was like a great kerfuffle of large fighting cats, but with roaring and scrapping sound of clashing swords.

Sue jerked her head, hoping to have her master hop onto her saddle and ride away from the danger she felt was over that ridge. Unfortunately, her master was a young and curious human, a very dangerous creature.

Pulling Sue to tie her reigns to a tree, the youth readied his bow and quiver of arrows and walked slowly toward the incline. The mule snort her frightened chide at the teen to leave with her. However, he continued softly up the incline, making sure his bow didn't clatter against the rocks.

The growling sounds become more intense as he got close, the fight must be near its peak for the screech war cries also was mingled with cries of pain.

Now he was raised right by his mother and she had but drilled it into his brain to not get involved where he could get hurt; He could just imagine her chastising tone on him about what he was doing.

"_Jack Darby, you idiot! What are you thinking?! Your mule is smarter than you! You'll get killed!"_

Another cry compelled his curiosity and he continued up the slope to the ridge and peeked over.

Nothing in all his life prepared him for the sight in the canyon below.

"Dragons." His mouth was dry when he gasped.

Three large figures circled each other, their growls echoed on the canyon walls. Two of them were exactly the same with large dark scaly bodies, both their pale triangular heads swiveled around as their wing claws slashed at the third body. Jack took into detail of the dark black and violet scales that colored their bodies and wings; he shivered at the sight of their slanted red eyes. His heart froze more at the sight of a particular colored scale pattern on the barrel chested creatures, a pointed crested purple face that stared out with malicious intent.

_Great, Deceptidraqs._ He had to get out of there.

However, before he retreated another screech directed his attention to the third dragon.

This one was much smaller than the others and clearly it was fighting a two against one battle, with wounds of a blue fluid flowing from them. Slender dark cobalt bodied and long neck head a soft and narrow serpent-like head with a headdress of sleek cobalt horns and pink crests along the sides of its face and one curved up from its forehead. The same pink accents were around cobalt and black legs and dorsal spikes along the hips to the lashing tail. Silver claws, bright blue fierce eyes, and gnashing teeth fought back against the two other dragons, sparks of blue fire aimed at their faces from its mouth. The wings were small, forming from the shoulders of the dragon, but looked more like a combination of batwings with bird of prey feathers. Jack's eyes widened when he caught another scale pattern on one wing; this one had been memorized since he was a little boy.

A red crested dragon face that stared out in a bold and strong gaze.

"An Autogon!" he gasped out again, but in awe.

His shock was interrupted when one of the dark dragons barbed tail strikes the Autogon's head and they pounced on it. It struggled under their weight, but it still screeched and bit and clawed their hides, but the strikes and teeth tearing into the blue hide brought out a pained cry that wrenched at Jack's heart.

Then piercing blue met with the gray-blue.

The Autogon had paused for a moment a look of shock matching his but another attack to the neck brought another pained screech.

His mind told him to leave now but his body and heart forced him to his spot. Every lesson he ever learned about dragons told him that he shouldn't get involved and must let things be. But when he heard the Autogon screech in pain again his fight response kicked in and he looked around quickly.

He knew he stood no chance at fighting Draqs but maybe…

His eyes caught sight of the other side of the canyon and the boulder pile atop a ridge, right over the fighting dragons.

He hurriedly set up his bow and drew one of his special arrows out and looked over the rune covered arrow head for a moment.

'_Now's a good time to test Raf's arrows than ever.'_

Hooking the notch and pulled back the string and took aim.

For a moment he aimed at the dragons, the blue eyes looked back up at him in pained shock, then after inhaling a deep breath, he aimed up toward a weak spot in the boulder pile.

He softly exhaled and let loose the string.

* * *

She knew she should've been more cautious, been more aware of her surroundings, but her mind had been clouded.

The loss of a pack mate will do that, and in her mind it happened too often.

Had her mind not been so clouded she would've smelled the Draqs coming sooner.

She only had time to drop her cargo into the forest below before the Wyvercons were on her. With grace and speed she led her enemies away from the drop point and into the canyon, but they were still bigger and a cheap shot at her head gave them the advantage.

Now she writhed in pain as they attacked her neck and body, she was able to inflict damage to them but it didn't deter them. She could feel her pack bond with the others and feel that they were on their way but she didn't believe that they would make it on time.

She still looked up in hope for a sign of them, and froze.

What was a human doing here?!

Her neck was attacked again and her cries to her pack became louder and with more urgency. But they were still too far away and now with a human in danger…

She looked back up again but was shocked to see the human aim an arrow in her direction, but then aimed up over them and fired.

A moment later the side of the cliff above them exploded and the Draqs stopped their assault to look up at the falling boulders.

She saw her chance and used her claws to strike at the Draqs and dodge the chaos of the avalanche.

Cries and screeches were over powered by the falling boulders until they stopped suddenly and the valley became silent with only the plinking sounds of trailing pebbles. She wheezed and coughed at the debris cloud surrounding her and turned back at the spot for any movement, but as the cloud faded all that remained was a great pile of boulders and maybe a quarter of the cliff face, the only thing left of the Draqs were limp tails and claws jetting out of the rubble.

She limped to the rubble to check for any signs of life, she sniffed all around; tensing her body for any attack, but nothing came. That was two less Wyvercons to deal with, and this was from one puny human arrow?

Thinking of it…

Her crested head turned to the canyon ridge, but the human was gone.

* * *

"Yeah, yeah I know you were right, I should've listened to you," Jack assured his chiding mule after he untied her and quickly led her away back down the road and Sue had no qualms for it.

Moments ago he fired his arrow and watched long enough to see the boulders fall on the Deceptidraqs; thankfully the Autogon had dodged in time. Then he made a silent and quick retreat, but the adrenaline in his blood had him scramble to get away so that he wouldn't get further involved. His hands were still shaking as he held the reigns. When he was sure they were far enough away he stopped and curled to a crouch and shuttered a breath listening to calls of birds and wind in the forest.

What did he just do?

He couldn't get that fact out that not only did he see dragons and believed he saved one, but he killed two to do so; they were Deceptidraqs, the evil raiders of other villages, but those were his first… kills.

He heard about how knights are trained to learn to just pass through the feeling of taking another life for the preservation of your own, but he wasn't a knight, he was… and he just… He shuddered again.

A soft nose nuzzled his face and brought him out of his thoughts. He smiled gratefully at his hoofed friend and patted her nose as she lipped gently around his fingers. "Thanks Sue."

Sue nickered again as Jack got back up and made to get back in her saddle when the morning sun was suddenly flashed off of something at the corner of his eye. He looked over to a thick bush, but under it was something that shouldn't be there.

Leading Sue over, he reached down a pulled out a wrapped bundle of burlap with a metal point sticking out of it. It looked worn and was singed in some places. He felt something hard and long in the bundle and then unwrapped it.

He stared in awe at the contents that revealed itself.

It was a dagger in a scabbard casing, the handle was simple enough, leather grip that criss-crossed, the cross guards looked pristine from the reflecting sunlight off the steel, and the pommel had a sapphire stone embedded through it. The scabbard had mother of pearl inlay, but before he could take out the blade dark shadows appeared from over head and he looked up to see two flying forms going back the way he came. He rewrapped the dagger and put it in his saddle bag then mounted back on Sue and, without any fuss about the cart, the mule hurried off toward home.

At last.

* * *

She smelled the ridge of the canyon, where she saw the human.

_Definitely male, not one of the Guardian Knights, yet from the same nearby village. _She thought as she limped around the area, her right front leg hurting her and her neck was throbbing. _Why would he put himself at risk to help me, a dragon? I had thought…How odd._

A trilling cry echoed in her ears and she turned to the arrivals, but she had little to worry about.

"About time boys."

The first dragon was slightly larger than her and on his barreled yellow scaled chest bared the same red mark of the Autogons. His head was more domed with a broad crest along from the forehead down the back of the thick and long black neck and small horns on both sides. The face was gray, aside from the yellow and black accents on the muzzle, jaw and sides of the head. His wings however were much smaller and more bat-like, but his legs looked made for sprinting at great distances.

The second dragon landed next with a loud thud and the ground beneath them vibrated a bit. He was double both their sizes with a great wingspan. His broad head was also domed but with bony thick plates on his head down his broad neck. The face was gray with green accents along the sides and into an impressive chin. His green body was a more heavyweight form, but the massive club on the end of his tail showed the power behind it.

Both took in the valley chaos then back to the female.

"Arcee!" called the green Autogon then looked around. "Whoa! What party happened here?"

The blue female laid on the ground to lick her leg wound as she replied, "Wyvercons. They ambushed me, had me outnumbered."

"Arrwoo?" trilled the worried yellow dragon. (*)

"I'm fine, I…I had some outside assistance," she hesitated and looked to the rubble. "Some human saw the fight and caused that landslide with some magic infused arrow."

Blue eyes widened at her.

"Wait, a human saw you?! Oh, Ratchet's gonna bring the inferno down on you."

"Before or after I tell him I also lost the artifact."

"Grrrr-?!"

"No the Draqs don't have it. I dropped it into the forest before I was knocked from the sky."

"So where is it now?" the green dragon helped her when she struggled to get up.

For a moment Arcee didn't answer her pack mates, then jerked her head up to a sound on a far tree branch and saw a lone raven. Its red eyes looked at the scene below its perch then squawked before taking off when a fireball was fired at it.

The yellow dragon looked on as his target left into the sky with a fierce scowl while the green giant growled with him.

Arcee looked from the retreating bird then to her pack mates. "Good work, Bee. No need for eavesdroppers. As for where the artifact is now, Bulkhead," she looked back to the tree line and the far off small pillars of smoke of the town.

"I think I may have an idea on where it could've gone."

* * *

"Jackson Darby, you idiot! What were you thinking, going up close to a dragon fight?!" the dark haired, fair skinned woman prepared their dinner. She stoked the fire with hard jabs of the iron. "You could've gotten killed! Your mule has more common sense than you!"

_Do I know my mother,_ regarded Jack as he prepared the wooden table. "I'm sorry, mom. I don't know what I was thinking, I just…" he sighed as he faced her scolding gaze. "I couldn't just do nothing."

"How about running away and being safe for one?" she said as she used her apron to remove the steaming cook pot from the fire. "If those Deceptidraqs had seen you-"

"They weren't all Draqs mom…," he hesitated before answering. "Two Draqs were attacking an Autogon."

Shocked gray-blue eyes looked to him, then she slowly places the pot on the table before facing her son with a disbelieved frown. "…An-an Autogon? Are you sure?"

"I saw the mark Mom," he said with a firm voice, then walked to the stone oven and pointed to a battered shield that bore the same red face and patted it as he turned to her. "This very mark on the dragon's wing. It was unmistakable."

His mother walked to face the shield up close and breathed deeply. "I thought they became extinct." She looked to him in hope. "If you saw one then there is hope. Oh, Jack if they have returned…"

"Don't know about that. It may have been the last of its kind."

"It takes one to assure me," she then shook her head, released a breath and looked back at her son. "Still, you young man, are on punishment duties, but for saving a sacred being you shall have cake."

"Yes ma'am, oh um let me double check on the stock first," Jack got a lighted candlestick, left through the door into the adjacent forge room. He rechecked that his fire was down and the tools locked away, he then pulled back the shops entrance flap to the outside stable and corral after picking up a burlap bag. Sue greeted him with a snort.

"Hey girl," Jack greeted back then poured the bags contents in her feed trough. "Here's your _triple _extra treat." Sue nickered at him and began feeding.

Jack walked back to the shop and went to the storage shed and looked to the steel, copper, and iron rods and sheets. He paused to look around then went under the copper to bring out the burlap wrap, placed the candlestick on a shelf, and unwrapped the bundle to look at the dagger.

The length was as long from his fingertips to his elbow but even inside the scabbard, it was light. He griped the leather handle and withdrew the blade out; he had to gasp at the pristine sheen from the candle light. It was a standard broad blade made of a metal that his expert eyes could not distinct. Engraved on the base of the blade bore symbols of a language he had no knowledge of. Turning it over, he carefully felt the double edged blade.

"Such craftsmanship. Not a mark, dent, or jagged edge. Perfectly smooth. Whoever had you last really took care of you. Such a loss, but now what to do with you?"

"Jack!" cried his mother from the shop entrance. "Come in before dinner gets cold!"

"Coming Mom," Jack called but he then hissed when he jerked to answer her and the blade resting on his finger sliced a near deep cut on the index finger pad. He moved the blade away and scowled at the bleeding finger. "Great."

He put the dagger down to wipe the blood off, the blade edge had some residual blood but unseen by the youth it was absorbed into the metal. As Jack brought it back up to wipe it but he paused at the clean surface. He turned it over by the handle in surprise.

"Well, at least I got the messy part of the deal."

He put the scabbard back on, wrapped it in the burlap, hid it under the metal shelf, grabbed the candle stick with his uninjured hand, and rushed back into the home, not surprised his mother started chiding him about his new wound.

Even within the burlap a faint glow from the dagger illuminated from its hiding place.

* * *

A sharp cry of the raven echoed above a moon lighted lush happy valley that suddenly became desolate with rock and dead trees as it flew closer to the far mountain before it. However this was no ordinary mountain, in the dark of the night its silhouette formed under a blank moon as it floated high above the mountain range, the glowing core of its powered flight could have been seen for miles.

There was never a human, animal, or plant that's never heard of Nemesis Darkmount, the flying base of the Deceptidraqs.

The raven ignored the other Wyvercons as they flew to the base of the mountain, each carrying baying livestock, materials, and occasionally a pleading human that was unfortunate enough to be caught too close to their mountain, or a punishing tribute of a village, to be made a slave in one of their many jewel mines. The Draqs would take their prizes to the honeycombed entrances to the base of the mountain but the raven had another destination. It cawed as it flew high toward the top, and flew through the entrance there, past the criss-crossing maze of stalactites and stalagmites and cawed again to announce its presence into a large cavern, a giant violet glowing crystal at the center. A sinewy appendage appeared from the dark walls to the black bird. The raven clicked and squawked to the silent shadowed form of its dragon master.

**"…"**

A red eyed slender dragon shape appeared from behind the crystal and swaggered toward them.

"Well Soundwave, what does your scout have to report on the artifact and the patrol I sent to fetch it?" the velvety graveled voice questioned.

**"…"**

"WHAT?!" came the high pitched outraged command. "What do you mean 'terminated'?! They were part of my elite! It was just one Autogon!"

**"…"**

"What is this nonsense about a human arrow?! What of the artifact?! Lost?!"

**"…"**

"Oh, oh good. Whew," then the voice became lowly sneer as he turned back to the cyrstal. "So, a sniveling human not only aided our enemy but may also have our prize? Well… Our lord did order us to retrieve it, and the boys have been etchy to have some kind of fun lately."

Smug eyes viewed the numerous pairs of more red eyes circling the cavern and up the higher ridges. Excited growls and snarls echoed the walls and up the open volcano exit.

**"…"**

"Bah! That hardly matters, Soundwave. He wouldn't even have to worry while he's away and I'm in charge," replied the graveled voice. "We must retrieve the artifact before the Autogons do."

Then sharp white teeth grinned wide and a sinister gleam shone in his red eyes.

"Besides, we need to remind the humans of what true terror is."

His maniacal cackle echoed as he used his wings to take off out of the exit with a flight of his dragons behind.

* * *

A/N: Transformers: Prime characters (c) Hasbro

The dragons in the story are more organic but they still feed on Energon. But I changed that they don't have human like modes, because seeing a giant dragon is thrilling enough and they shape shift into animals, since there are no vehicles in a medieval like time-line.

Just a list of terms:  
Autogons= Autobots

Deceptidraqs= Decepticons

Wyvercons (Wyverns)= Vehicons

Wyverns, are a type of flying lizards but they aren't really dragons in a way, but they are a real mythical creature and the closest that i can make the Vehicons.

BB and BH dragon descriptions based on concepts by JazztheTiger

There wasn't any Arcee based dragons so I made my own and the Wyvercons.

Sue the Mule, replaces June Darby's Sudan... Get it?

(*) Bee did lose his voice box but he can 'growl-talk', there will be translations in further chapters.

I also made the Autogon symbol, Deceptidraq symbol as on my Deviant Art page.

Hoped you enjoyed it.


	2. Nothing Ever Happens in Jasperton

Legend:

"Hi."- Talk

_Hello.- _Thoughts

"Chrr, kik, kik!" ("What's up!.")- Bumblebee talk

_"~Hello there.~"_- Dragon Mind link

* * *

**Nothing Ever Happens in Jasperton**

Crickets and frogs sang to announce of the evening, their song echoed across the peaceful lake to the base of an ancient volcano nearby. Lush forest and colorful meadows blanket the hill side that once was pathways of lava, but now wildlife found a safe haven along the base and slope. On the top was a cover of snow and glaciers, streams of melting snow flowed down and connected to a river that formed a twenty foot wide and hundred foot tall waterfall that descended into the lake. Behind the waterfall however, a flash of light erupted and heat caused steam to evaporate the water to show an enormous alcove cave and the rocky walls echoed with an angry snarl.

"How could you have been so careless?!"

The cave narrowed into a tunnel, the walls lined with glowing blue crystals, then curved behind a concealed entrance into a tall and wide cavern. Within the cavern, a several green clear cut crystals line up at one side, more tunnel entrances surround the main area, and on the other side laid the blue lithe female dragon, Arcee, on a stone bed. Her injuries were treated with herbal oils and covered with soft moss. Not far away, was the yellow and green dragon companions, looking on with concern for her and nervousness. She was looking at another direction at another snarl of her healer.

The red and white dragon was slightly smaller than the green one, white cheek crests framed is stout white and grey muzzle, and the striped thick neck stretched to rock selves of numerous healing vials to select the next herbal oil. The tapered membrane at the ends of his white wings revealed the healer to be of older age, however he still had a strong healthy body with a powerful tail with the end curved like a surgeon's knife.

"Not only did you face two Draqs, alone might I add, and got injured, but you let a human, A HUMAN, see you! And losing the artifact?!"

"Hey, take it easy Ratch," the armored green dragon tried to placate the other. "At least the Draqs don't have it, everything would have gone to pit by now."

The red chevron brow crests over the blue eyes of their healer frowned deeply at him, making the green dragon cringe in fright.

"I can defend myself Bulkhead, thank you," hissed Arcee when the healer patted moss on an open wound on her shoulder. "I made it back alive anyway, Ratchet."

"And empty clawed! Don't you remember how important that dagger is?!"

"I do remember Ratchet, but I just wasn't expecting to get ambushed-"

"That you should have been aware of in the first place! Who knows how much the human saw or if the Wyvercons or that flying vermin, Lazerbeak seen him!? His village, his life is in danger now!"

"Crr, Arr, Grr, kik, kik, kik. ("We don't know for sure of that.")" The yellow dragon chirruped. He came around the bed to rub his head against the healers neck to calm him, it worked a little when he became less tense. "Chirrrr, arr, grr, arrrruw, kik, kik, grr. ("I did a quick sweep around the forest and village, there was no Draq around.")

"We still can't let the humans become involved, Bumblebee," the healer still growled softly. "Now we have to retrieve the artifact without letting the knights notice us and avoid having the Draqs discover its location." He looked to Arcee. "I knew sending you alone was a bad choice, especially so soon after-"

"Hey, Doc, Don't go there!" growled Bulkhead.

"It's okay Bulk." Arcee softly spoke, looking forlornly at the rocky floor. "We lost the dagger because I was distracted." _'I'm sorry… Cliffjumper…'_

"Do not blame yourself Arcee," a calm baritone voice echoed in the cavern.

All four looked up at the sound of approaching heavy footfalls.

"The loss of our pack mate still looms within all of us, but he wouldn't want us to wallow in sadness too long when we still need to accomplish our mission. Bulkhead is correct though, there is hope to retrieve the dagger, despite this new development."

The new dragon was the largest among them, taller than Bulkhead by 15ft. Crowned above his eyes was a head crest that formed into a long white front forehead horn, and two larger blue horns curved back and up on his head with silver smaller horns covered his ears. The strong silver muzzle was framed by blue side crests, and back jaw spikes. The head was connected to a great long neck to a red barreled torso that was accented by slanted blue armor scales in the front; on his shoulder armor the silver scale pattern of the Autogons. His great blue and red accented wings were folded and covered his back. His lower body gave way to silver and blue and ended with a long think powerful tail. Despite the sheer power this dragon gave off, the gentleness radiating from his blue eyes assured his pack of his compassion, shared sorrow and wisdom.

"With Arcee's quick reaction, she hid the artifact away, the unexpected assistance from the human saved us from losing another pack mate, and if it is possible the same or a different human found the dagger he or she would not know what its importance is and may delay the Deceptidraqs from finding it."

Ratchet sighed harshly. "Even so, Optimus, Lazerbeak's presence must be factored in. If he saw Arcee dropping it or the human saving her…"

"Yes, I do have great concern of the outcome. No doubt Starscream has already caught wind of this... Arcee, have you got the scent of the archer?"

"Affirmative Prime."

"Once your wounds have been healed, you will go to the village and see if you can locate him and determine if he is in danger."

"…Understood." Her voice indicated she didn't like the mission very much, but she kept quiet.

"Bumblebee, Bulkhead, in the morning form a patrol of the village for any signs if the knights have presence there. If we are lucky that a knight may have found the artifact instead, we will contact our liaison to attain it for us."

"Arrragh, crr, kik, kik, kik, chrr?" ("Can't you sense where it is, Prime?")

Their leader looked to the rock floor. "That has become difficult to determine…"

"H-WHAT?!" exclaimed the old healer dragon. "But the blade has always been in contact with the Alpha Prime since the Great War!" His eyes widen incredulously. "You mean it no longer does?!"

The large dragon looked away from them in silence for the moment.

"…It has become silent to me since the sunset."

All four looked at him in shock.

Until Bulkhead tilted his domed head in confusion.

"Uh, what does that mean exactly?"

"The only way for the blade to become detached from the Prime," Ratchet softly murmured. "Is if it was covered in hydra blood, which is highly unlikely, or…"

Optimus looked back at them with a serious gleam in his eyes.

"The Sigma Dagger has found its wielder."

* * *

The new morning glimmered over the village, a small semi-desert outpost town on a crossroads helped travelers to the great cities with rest and food. Light pillars of smoke flutters up to the sky from stone chimneys and outside ovens, the surrounding farms sowed bounty for the farmers, and livestock called as they were lead to market. The village square echoed with venders calling, locals and travelers crisscrossed the streets while children chased each other and squealed as they played, and music played into the air from the minstrels in the square. A normal day to day village with normal expectations for everyone.

Since nothing really happens in Jasperton.

Down one street from the square the sounds of stone grinding metal could be heard, it came from the open forge workshop of the local blacksmith. Yet, the blacksmith himself wasn't a man with graying hair or large muscles, but a boy in his teens stepping on a petal to rotate the stone wheel and grinding a sword. He stopped and removed his face shield to inspect the sword edges.

"The edge still looks rough," he murmured.

"How about testing it with this?" came a female voice.

He looked up to see his mother holding up a melon.

"Breakfast?"

She nods and moves to the open back of the workshop. The teen removed his gloves and leather apron and grabbed the sword handle and followed. The taller black haired woman placed the melon on an iron stand, while he held the handle in both hands and got into a stance.

"Okay, stand back."

She backed off, and watched in pride as her son swung the sword with swift expert perdition and the melon was horizontally cut clean through. Juice dripped out of the rind as the teen looked back at the blade.

"Yeah, needs to be smoothed out more."

"You sure about that?" asked his mother as she gathered the cut melon pieces, using her white half apron to protect her dark green healers dress. "That looked like a good cut."

"The cut hung for half a second. 'In battle every second and in between counts in order to survive', at least that's what Sir Richards says." He walked back to his anvil, puts his gloves back on, and grabs a stone brick to smooth the edges of the sword.

"You know Jack, he's still trying to persuade you into an apprenticeship," commented his mother softly that made him look up. "I don't like the idea of you joining the guardian knights, but seeing you use those swords gives me second thoughts."

"Yeah, the thought crossed my mind too," he agreed. "But then the village would need a new blacksmith, besides 'it's not just the knights, it's the blacksmith's tools that help protect the people'." She laughed at him when he said it with a dramatic flair while posing with the sword in heroic fashion.

"Haha, hmm, Uncle Cullen's sayings are still glued in you I see."

"Hey, I grew up on it. Anyway I don't think being a knight is for me."

"Well, if their recruitment criteria for apprenticeship is like with 'Vince Connors," she said with a touch of venom. "Then it's probably for the best. Anyway I'm going to get my herb satchel ready. I'll just be inside if you need me."

"Got it, thanks."

She left him a piece of the sliced melon on a nearby stand for him and moved through the covering to their house. Jack went back to grinding the sword edges, then after he was done he re-inspected it. "There, that should do it."

"Ode to the blacksmiiiiiith,

unsung true hero of the kingdoms peace.

For it's he who makes the knight's

legendary swords and shields for theeeemmm,

to sully with their icky hand grease!"

Jack smiled and scoffed from the sudden song sung from the top of the roof.

"That was bad, Miko."

A head of black side pigtails with pink highlights and a low tied ponytail poked down from the roof ledge to mock pout at him.

"Hey that took me a solid thirty seconds to come up with that one!"

"And it's still bad. Aren't you supposed to be at the plaza?"

A body moved down from the ledge with the head to reveal a lanky girl close to Jacks age. Just shorter him, and she had slightly narrowed brown eyes. She wore a silk elbow length sleeved harlequin shirt of dark lavender and maroon, a large yellow belt around her waist with a small funny looking teal colored stuffed animal tied to it, navy short pants and leg long striped stockings of navy and dark violet, and long pink laced leather boots. Strapped to her back was her red and purple designed Lute.

"I was until I saw you dice that melon," she flipped a pink bang out of her eyes as she walked around the forge while Jack went to hang the sword with the others before getting a new length of steel. "You are wasted in this place, you should go to the capital and work your magic there. You'd be famous in no time, I'd bet even the king would hire you."

Jack placed the steel into the forge and started pumping the billows. "I don't think so, besides Mom's not a big fan of the capital."

After poking a hanging club to make it swing Miko looked to him. "You are at the age of looking after yourself."

"Honestly, I can't go anyway. Jasperton would need a new blacksmith, and I'm not risking to get eaten by draqs again." He muttered the last part, but…

"Draqs?" She widened her eyes and exclaimed, "You saw some dra-?!"

Jack immediately covered her mouth and moved her to the back. "Miko! SHH! You want to cause a panic?!"

"Sorry, but you saw Deceptidraqs?!" This time was an excited whisper.

"Yes, but this was yesterday far from here." He didn't want to tell her where, for he knew she would go to investigate. "I got lucky they didn't see me, I hope."

"But that's incredibility wicked that you saw dragons! Even if they were the ones that are evil and cause everyone nightmares, but I'm so jealous! To see a real living breathing-"

"Miko! Plaza!"

"Hm?" she paused then looked to the rising sun. "Oh no! I'm late!"

She took off and jumped onto the roof tops with great balance and speed. "Don't think this is over Jack, I'll ask again later! But don't worry, I'll keep quiet!"

"But for how long?" He said when her silhouette disappeared and he shook his head at her antics before going back to his workshop.

* * *

The village was just down the hill from their position. They hid in the bushes along the beaten road to keep out of sight and to wish their pack mate luck.

"You be careful out there 'Cee."

"Chrrr, arr."

"Thanks boys, but don't worry I'll be fine."

Finally a figure stepped out from the bushes and trotted down the road, while two others slinked away wide around the village.

* * *

It wasn't unusual to the people of Jasperton to see an occasional traveler from the great capital, they could tell from the beautiful pale red and blue riding dress and laced bonnet and veil covering her head save the long dark hair tied in back as she rode side saddle on the decorated saddle. However, it was her steed that got much attention. It was by far the most stunning mare they've ever seen, at 16 hands (5ft 4") at the withers, its coat looked more of a dark blue than black, and chestnut pink accented as a forehead star and upward stripe, and fetlocks on her hooves. Her mane and tail were also dark with highlighted chestnut tips.

The horse traveled down the streets of the village, the rider looked around the communing people until the horse smelled the air and the rider turned her head to the sound of banging metal. She guided the horse toward the sound until they came to the blacksmith workshop entrance. The rider dismounted and held the reigns as the horse looked into the entrance, seeing the organized chaos of metal, wood, and stone, but they didn't see the blacksmith himself. A bell hung on the entrances right side and the rider grabbed the rope to ring it. The banging stopped and after hearing some shuffles a black haired youngling, this surprised her, came out from the back and walked to her.

The horse suddenly perked up with nostrils flared at the sight, but the rider just waited until the boy came up with a greeting smile.

"Hello and welcome Ma'am, how can I help you?"

"…Hello," her low melodious voice answer. "I've been travelling for a long time and my horse and I need some rest. May I board her here for a while?"

"Of course ma'am," the boy then took off his leather apron. "If you wish to keep her here for the rest of the day it'll be 25 farthings."

"I may stay longer than that."

"For overnight it'll be 50."

The rider tilted her head a bit then nodded and went to her saddle bag to pull out a small pouch to hand to him. "Very well, this is an advance until I come back to give the rest if it is the night. And please call me Sadie, not ma'am."

"Thank you ma-, Miss Sadie," he said as she handed him the reigns. He looked at the mare with awe in his eyes, then looked back at the veiled woman. "And your horse's name?"

"…Arcee."

"I will take good care of Arcee, Miss Sadie." He led the mare to along the side of the workshop to a fenced stable where his mule munched nonchalantly on her hay in her own stall. Going to the next stall to place the mare in there. He noticed the rider followed him.

"She likes carrot oats, but make sure not to give her too much."

The boy laughed. "Of course, Sue here basically runs on them." He walks over to his mule to fondly pet her head. "I'll make sure she won't be a bad influence." Sue then snorts in indignation at him that made him, the rider and even the horse laugh, though the horse's laugh was a whinny.

"Heh..." The rider looked a little embarrassed then regain her composure. "I'll be back soon, good day." She goes to leave but then stops and looks back. "Forgive me, your name?"

"Oh right, sorry. Jackson Darby, you enjoy your day Miss Sadie."

Jack watched the mysterious traveler walk back out onto the street, before looking back to the horse. If he had watched long enough he would have seen the rider turn a secluded corner and vanish into thin air.

"Well let's get you settled in."

He moved into the stall to remove the saddle and tie the reigns, and got his brushes out and started to brush the dirt from the coat as he smiled at his mule. "Sue, mind your manners, we have a delicate lady present."

The mare suddenly lunged her head at him, ears pinned back, and neighed loud, making Jack jump back. He must have been brushing too hard.

"Whoa! Easy, sorry you're not a delicate lady." He returned to the brushing when the mare calmed down, her ears back up, and started combing her mane. He got a closer look at her eyes, an intense ice blue with thin lines of pink around the iris; strange. Just looking at them reminded him of yesterday when…

"But you are the one of the most beautiful creatures I've ever seen," he says, gently petting her cheek and muzzle, this time the mare lets him.

He then checked her over for any health problems, untied the reigns and took them off, then left her a bale of hay and a little handful of oats and a hanging bucket of water at muzzle level. He then walked out the stall and locked the fenced door.

"Here you are, enjoy yourself."

The mare watched him go with sharp eyes as he takes the heated steel from the forge and uses the hammer to shape it on his anvil, she turned her head to her neighbor who snorted at her.

The mare's mouth smirked. "Hello to you too."

The mule seemed to look startled at the sudden human speech that came from the horse's mouth. Arcee still smirked as the mule walked away to eat its own hay, then she looked away with a serious frown.

_"~Optimus, this is Arcee, I've made it into the village and I'm at the blacksmith's corral.~"_

Her thoughts reached far and kept silent as she waited for a reply.

_"~Good, Arcee, were you able to locate the archer?~"_

_"~Believe it or not, it's actually the blacksmith himself that's the archer. A boy named Jackson Darby, he has the same scent.~"_

_"~Boy?~"_

_"~He's more of an adolescent. Sixteen maybe, but from what I've seen in the workshop, he's very good in his craft. I've detected another scent around his home, he may live with a parent.~"_

_"~Did you see any signs of Deceptidraq activity?~_

_"~Nothing from my way into the village, not even the noxious stench of Lazerbeak.~"_

_"~That is good to hear. Were you able to tell if the artifact is in the blacksmith's possession?~"_

_"~No, not from my current position.~"_

_"~Hmm, from what Bumblebee was able to see at the last position of the archer and the location where you dropped the dagger, there is the possible chance of the boy finding it.~"_

_"~It's a possibility, but I'll keep looking-!~"_

"Darby!"

Arcee looked up at the shout, then frowned.

_"~Hey, Bulk, I wouldn't worry about finding signs of the knight's here, because I'm just getting visual on one now and they're hostile.~"_

_"~You got found out 'Cee?!~"_

_"~No, but my 'rescuer' looks like _he_ could use some rescuing.~"_

Five boys around Jack's age marched toward the workshop, the leader was ginger red haired about a couple inches over Jack. He and his posse wore the lightly armored white and light blue tunic uniforms of the Guardian Knight Squire Apprentices. Arcee became wary of them as Jack took off his gloves and walked around his anvil to meet with them with a frown, but his voice was conditioned and professional.

"Good day Vince, if you've come to pick up your father's rapier cane, I'm afraid that I'm still-"

"Never mind that, I've come for Sir Richards' sword, so hand it over," ordered the red head.

"His sword?" Jack looked back toward his safe of finished custom and repaired weapons at the back of the room. He glanced back at Vince, seeing him fold his arms and sneering, his posse flanked him. Yet, Jack doesn't flinch, just looked back at them.

Vince Connors was a son to one of the high officials of Jasperton, he was tall, muscular for his age, and popular among the teenagers including the girls of the village. However, it was his attitude that was the reason of dissapproval Jack's mother had on him: he was rude to the elders, he picked fights, and picked on others that didn't come from high society, Jack included. It wasn't a surprise that Vince became an apprentice, and he used that title for every advantage he took. Jack however, used his privileged title of maker and keeper of the knights weapons to face the posse with undeterred footing.

"…He never said he would send someone to pick it up. Did he give you some confirmation for me to-"

"Doesn't matter Darby," Vince growled. "I out rank you, give me the sword."

Jack looked at him back in the eye sternly. "Sorry Vince, but unless you have written permission and or he says it himself, then I can't hand it to you."

A crowd started to form around the workshop at the tension between five squires and the local blacksmith. The adults looked concerned and nervous, the younger children looked on in awe at the sight of the armored boys, but when they saw them looking mean at Jack, the nice teenager who always let them help make horseshoes and show off his archery, they got worried. Even lazy Sue fidgeted next to Arcee who focused her attention on the black haired boy.

The crowd gasped as Vince gloved hand grabs Jack's shirt collar.

"I'm head squire of Jasperton's Guardian Knight Apprenticeship, Darby. You are just a lowly blacksmith, I give the order and you obey orders like a good servant," snarled the redhead, his posse kept the crowd back. The workshop's door covering to the house moved slightly.

Jack frowns deeply and, surprising Vince and the crowd, pries the hand off strongly. "I am following orders, _Connors_. And if I remember correctly, Sir Richards has you on suspension after you were using a good friend of mine as a practice target."

"You mean that little witch wannabe?"

"His name is Rafael, and he's an alchemist trainee, who's highly regarded by even your father." Jack then folded his arms as he saw Vince flinch at the mention. "I wonder how disappointed he was when he heard that you hurt Raf."

Vince laughs mockingly and smirks. "That pipsqueak is nothing but a nobody, just like you. I can never understand why Richards keeps asking you to join. You're still just a servant, like that crazy old man Cullen." His smirk widened when Jack's fists clutched and ignored the crowd's disapproval of slighting the previous blacksmith.

Yet, Jack kept calm and reigned in his anger. "I stand by that only Sir Richards can pick up his sword."

Vince suddenly grabs Jack's collar again with both hands and drove him toward the stable, his posse blocked the clamoring crowd. "You need to learn your place Darby!"

The door covering exploded out.

"Connors! You release my son this instant!"

The crowd quieted down at the sight of the angry black haired woman, whom they knew as June Darby, resident healer and mother of the young blacksmith, advance like an angry bear toward the redhead. But she was halted when two of the posse blocked her path; despite their nervousness at the sight of her fiery frown.

Vince keeps his grip on the collar as he turns his head to June.

"Your place is back at the kitchen, woman! Stay out of this!"

Black hair bristled and something snapped.

"Don't talk to my mother that way!"

Jack grabbed Vince's wrists and violently twisted them for the redhead to let go then pushed him back, but he was pushed from the back by one of the posse as Vince regained his balance by leaning on the stable fencing and stood to ready a punch.

"Just hold still-Arrgh!"

Sue had lowered her head through the opening of her stall door and bit Vince's unprotected seat hard, forcing him the move to the side, where the positioned Arcee bucked him with so much force, he flew forward into the puddle outside a neighbor's pig sty.

He groaned in pain as the pigs squealed.

The crowd laughed and cheered as the two equines neighed proudly, but then Vince scrambled out of the puddle and grabs the cooling steel rod on the anvil, the tip still red with heat, just like his enraged face, and stomps toward the stable.

"Dumb animals!"

Jack moved to intercept him.

"Vince, calm down and put that away."

"Shut up!"

Vince swings the rod at Jack's midsection, but the dark haired teen dodges. The redhead tries a punch but Jack blocks it then grabs the hand to twist around the back, locking the rod wielding arm in a hold that forced the squire to let go of it. Suddenly Jack is kicked in the leg and elbowed hard in the gut. Trying to gulp air back in, Jack barely manages another block when a directed glare from one of the posse's armor blinds him to a punch in and he's forced onto the pillar of the workshop's entrance.

"JACK!" He heard his mother cry out through the ringing in his ears from the hard hit of the wood to his head. He groaned in pain as he opened his eyes to Vince's triumphant grin.

"This'll teach you," Vince gasps as he brought his fist back.

It was grabbed by a large armored glove.

Vince suddenly found himself thrown off the other teen and his arm twisted as he was forced to the ground, a knee held him in place.

"H-hey!" He struggled to turn he head to snarl at the interrupter, but his face paled and heart dropped at who it was. "Si-Sir!"

The fierce green eyes and deep frown framed by the dome helmet of the head Guardian Knight, Sir Richards, looked back at him in distain.

"Stand down, Connors," the harsh order made the redhead shake, he noticed his posse was rounded up and held by a platoon on knights. The red and yellow white tunics and armor, the marks of full-fledged Guardians Knights, shone in the sun as Richards brings Vince back up from the ground and pushes him to join his captured posse. His frown softened when he turned to help Jack get up onto his feet.

"You alright, son?"

"Yes, sir," came the pained reply that turned into a groan when his mother nearly tackled him in a hug.

"Jack! Oh thank goodness."

"I must apologize for my apprentices, Lady Darby," said Sir Richards in remorse as he stood in an at ease pose. "Are you alright yourself?"

"Yes I am, but I worry for the future safety of our village if they become knights." The dark haired woman glared at the nervous boys.

"A lack of emphasizing discipline Lady Darby. Something I shall rectify now."

The tall man marched away as his men lined the guilty party up with Vince in the center. The redhead himself looked to the ground with a frozen frown, while his posse fidgeted in place. The head knight loomed over them as his keen eyes looked at all five teens, the crowd behind them adding to their nervousness.

"Well, you lot have much to answer for," his harsh voice drove chills down even Jack's spine as the knight paced along the line up. "You shame your protection branch and you shame me by not only attacking civilians, but our only blacksmith, the very one who makes all our weapons, and you harassed Lady Darby, our resident healer! To add to this dishonor you also insulted a good man, who happened to have been a friend of mine." He stopped in front of Vince. "For what purpose would you act upon this idiocy?!"

He glanced at them all, but they kept silent.

"Well?!"

"Sir Richards," Jack's voice made the head knight turn to him. "Did you give them permission to pick up your sword?"

"What? I never…" the man turned back, his face showed his angry realization. "So now things become clear. You sought to gain my sword?" He leans down at Vince's level, but the boy just glares at the ground. "From your fierce advancement on young Jack, it seems to me that you are the main aggressor, is that true?" The teen remains silent. "Answer me now, Connors, no squire must lie to me!"

"Yes, sir," one of the boys, a blonde, answered, his voice solemn. "Vince wanted to get the sword."

Vince hissed and raged at the blonde, but he was restrained by the knights behind him. Richards calmly straightened his back.

"At least one of you has some sense, but I had hoped my Head Squire would answer for himself. We will have a long talk with your father later. Men, take this unruly bunch to the barracks mess hall, and get them started on peeling potatoes, carrots and turnips, enough to last a whole week. Get them out of my sight."

The knight guided the teen group, Vince casted one last glare at Jack, before Sir Richards addressed the crowd.

"Apologies everyone, the Guardians Knights don't encourage this kind of behavior in our squires! Rest assured that they will be punished, so please return to your day!"

The crowd slowly disperses, leaving the knight and the small family alone, and the drama seemed to vanish in an instant. Jack and his mother started picking any tools and items that fell in the struggle as Richards walked back to them.

"June, I apologize again for my idiot squires."

"I do take comfort that not all of your apprentices are like them, but my concerns still stands."

"Perhaps your son can calm them," Richards pats Jack's shoulder, his voice carried his approval. "He showed calm and restraint not fully engaging against Connors. Reckless Vince is, he is our strongest squire, but Jack was able to use defensive footwork over offensive blows. Good traits for recruits."

Jack looked sheepish, but he then walked toward the stables. "I think Sue and Arcee here should get some recognition too."

June smiled proudly as she pet Sue's muzzle. "Yes, finally found a better use for your teeth than eating oats. Good old Sue." She turned and gently petted the dark blue horse's neck. "And you magnificent mare."

"Such a beautiful mare," commented Richards as he got a closer look, taking off his gloves to examine the horse's head and teeth. Arcee just moved her head to stop him and she neighed at him. "Where did you procure her?"

"She's boarding here while her rider is staying in the village," said Jack, who was surprised that the mare then moved from the knight to him and slightly nuzzle his shoulder.

"Really?" asked Richards. "I haven't seen anyone new lately."

"You couldn't miss her. She looked to be from the capital with that fancy riding dress she wore, she also wore a veiled bonnet."

"Hmm, no matter at the moment," the man then stepped back and bowed at June. "By your leave Lady Darby, Jack. I must be off the report this incident."

"Sir, aren't you going to acquire your sword?" asked Jack.

"…If it is ready I'll return later for it when I need your statements for the report. If that is alright?"

"Yes, sir." Jack was surprised when Richards placed a hand on his shoulder and look at him in the eyes.

"Good lad… You know my offer still stands Jack, we could use more young men like you."

The teen looked down in thought at the moment, briefly looking at his mother then back at the tall man.

"I'll think about it sir."

Richards smiled at him then with one last pat to the boys shoulder straightened again to nod at June.

"Good day then."

The knight walk out the walkway to the main road and down, it was then when June rounded her son and started her own examination.

"Are you hurt anywhere, any bruises, scrapes, cuts?!"

Jack just softly smiled and sighed, "I'm fine mom."

"I really don't like it when you get involved in something where you can get hurt."

"Can't stop it from coming. I'll finish cleaning up here, and you need to get to the healing district. Once I'm finished with work here, I'm going to go see Raf."

June looked at him in the eyes for a moment then sighed in defeat. "Alright." But she smiled and held her sons head and gently connected their foreheads for a second then kissed it.

"I'm really proud of you."

Her son smiled back with a faint blush on his cheeks. "Thanks mom."

Arcee watched the woman leave into the house then walk out with a full satchel on her side. The boy waved his mother good bye and resumed cleaning the workshop, and went back to shaping the steel on his anvil.

_"~Arcee, what is your status?~"_

Arcee kept her heartspark from stopping in surprise at the healers call, and calmly relied without growling in annoyance.

_"~I'm fine, Ratchet. Just got a good look at the local protection branch of the knights. A group of squires came to the shop to get the head knight's sword, but they wanted it for their own purposes. Our blacksmith faced them off and refused to give it to them, but then the lead squire got violent. However, not only is the blacksmith, Jack, a good marksmen, he has decent defensive footwork. Would have been worse if my new hooved friend and I hadn't interfered.~"_

_"~H-WHAT?!~"_

_"~Relax Ratchet, I stayed in my alt-form and just gave a good kick. But Jack got outnumbered and the leader was about to land a blow when the head knight, Sir Richards, came by and stopped the fight, his men apprehended the posse.~"_

She smirked at the sound of grumbling.

_"~Well despite you having a little show, Bulkhead and Bumblebee had been going around the village and along the roads for some sign of the artifact, but no luck. Since you had an encounter with the knights, did you at least see if they had it?~"_

_"~No, I didn't. Yet, the area I'm in is frequented a lot so I'll have good visual if I see it. Let's not count out the blacksmith as well.~"_

_"~… Careful not to get attached to him Arcee. The retrieval of the dagger is our priority and leaving the humans out of our affairs is the best course of action to keep him and his village safe.~"_

Arcee pauses as she looks back to watching Jack work, he was inspecting a shield this time, its steel surface reflected Jack smiling face as he looked at its design. Her heartspark constricted when her mind replaced the boy's face with…

_"~Don't worry.~" _Her mind flowed with sadness_. "~I know my mission.~"_

The healer made no reply as she cut off her link. Jack now addressing a customer at the workshop entrance, the shield and face put away.

_Besides I have bad luck when getting attached to others._

* * *

**AN:**

Hurray, new chapter and I'd like to add a few details to clear some things up:

1. I did a little remake on Bumblebee's speech after I recently watched Pete's Dragon, (c) to Disney of course, and I thought, 'that clicking sound Elliot makes is perfect for Bumblebee!' XD. Of course Bee can't really hmm and sing like Elliot, but he can still growl and roar like a dragon.

2. Optimus' dragon design is my own, but I can't grasp on drawing it on paper, Ratchet too. But I'm working on the sketches.

3. I'm not an expert at how smithing is done in the old times, but I did just enough research to detail what Jack does in my story.

4. Squires in medieval times were like servants to knights, and in my story they also do chores, but in between training as apprentices. Sir Richards character is mine, but he won't be a major one I assure you.

Lastly, the mentioned character of Uncle Cullen is my tribute to Peter Cullen, but it's a first name and not completely like the real deal.

Hoped you liked it, leave comments.

TF: Prime Characters (c) Hasbro


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